Granville Then & Now – October 27, 2022

After 50 years, Campbell retires from real estate

By Erik Pekar

It is the end of an era in the real estate business of the Granville area. Michael Craig Campbell has retired from his career in real estate after nearly 50 years in the business.

Campbell graduated from Granville High School in 1970. He attended Albany Business College for two years before deciding to enter the real estate business.

“I began my career in 1972 as a full time NY state licensed real estate salesperson,” said Campbell. “Once I obtained my salespersons license, I began working with my brother, Daniel Campbell III. He had just opened DC Realty in the basement of his home on Broadview Terrace in the Village of Granville. I felt it was a good fit for me to be involved in a self-employment endeavor, being that my father Dr. Daniel Campbell II operated a successful dental practice on East Main Street for many years.”

Campbell worked to get his New York broker’s license, receiving it in the 1980s. He opened Michael Craig Campbell Realty in 1986. “(This enabled) me to open Michael Craig Campbell Realty in the basement of my home at Fox Road in Granville”, said Campbell.

Before year’s end, he purchased the house at 52 Quaker Street in the village and converted it into the office, along with an apartment. Campbell chose Quaker Street because it is part of Route 149, the same one that reaches Exit 20 on the Northway. With that in mind, he considered it “an obvious choice” to be on Quaker Street. “I would direct customers coming from the Northway (Interstate 87) to take exit 20 and stay on Route 149 (all the way) to my office doorstep,” said Campbell. “This worked great for people coming from Connecticut, New Jersey, downstate New York and New York City.”

His wife Sandy received a New York salesperson license in 1987 and became the office secretary in 1988.

Campbell expanded in the 2000s. “After numerous requests from property owners in nearby Vermont asking me to list their property, I decided to take my Vermont state real estate brokers license exam and obtained my (Vermont) broker’s license in 2003,” said Campbell.

There were many others who worked with Campbell over the years. Campbell’s daughters joined him in the business. Each acquired their salesperson license. Julie Appler did so in 2004, later getting an associate broker license in 2012. Crystal Bassett joined in 2006.

In the 2010s, the office at 52 Quaker Street was becoming outmoded. Campbell bought 104 Quaker Street and renovated it and moved the office over to the new location.

In the years of owning his own real estate business, Campbell expanded into other parts of real estate. He became a general contractor, associated with building homes; a land developer, having a part in subdivision and development of hundreds of acres of land; and some property “flips,” purchasing several homes, making major renovations and placing the newly renovated homes for sale; and a landlord, owning rental properties.

The year of retirement was 2021. “After several months of debate between my wife, and children, Sandra and I decided to retire after nearly five decades. The time was right!” said Campbell. The real estate market from the pandemic and low interest rates, resulted in his properties going fast; by the time the decision was made that August, he only had two listings, both in New York.

The office at 104 Quaker Street was then listed for sale. “I placed my office on the Global Multiple Listing Service. Within hours, I received requests from cooperating real estate professionals requesting appointments to show the office. It went under contract within 24 hours awaiting the closing process,” said Campbell.

With the office now in the “under contract” stage, Campbell ceased to take requests for further property listings. “Our main focus now was to close numerous sale-pending properties, and to sell seven rooms of office equipment, and a two-car garage full of personal property,” said Campbell. Over the next several months, the properties slowly passed through the closing process. Campbell also held several yard sales at 104 Quaker Street to sell items and office equipment from the property. The last stage of this process came in November 2021, when the closing process was completed for the 104 Quaker Street building; it is now a residence.

Campbell’s Vermont Brokers license expired in March 2022, followed by his New York Brokers license in May 2022. The license expirations are but a formal reminder that Campbell has indeed retired from his nearly 50-year real estate career. Julie Appler has also retired from the real estate business and is now seeking other employment endeavors, while Crystal Bassett continues her real estate career, now associated with Coldwell Banker Prime Properties. Among the last of the properties in the area, on both sides of the state line, to display the red, white and yellow sign for Michael Craig Campbell Realty was the office at 104 Quaker Street.

Campbell reflected on his lifetime career. “No doubt it was an emotional time for me to realize what I’d done my entire adult life was coming to an end. Over the years I met customers and clients from near and far; several from across the globe. I represented both buyers and sellers. Experience allowed me to comfortably advise them through the process of land development, real estate investments, selling their property, commercial endeavors, and of course buying their dream homes,” recalled Campbell. “Many of my clients and customers returned to my office over the years to sell, as well as purchase additional properties, some as many as five times. I sold properties to grandparents, their children, and their grandchildren.”

Campbell estimated he sold somewhere between 1,500 to 2,000 properties over nearly five decades.

Campbell is thankful for the support given to his business through the years. “I owe a great deal of gratitude and thanks to the Granville community, and my family as well. Without them, none of this would have been possible,” said Campbell. “It’s hard for me to believe a half century has passed. I feel blessed to have been given such a great opportunity. I met countless people who have since become great friends.”

Craig and Sandy Campbell continue to reside in Granville, where they were both born. They have four children and seven grandchildren. Campbell noted, “Since our retirement we have enjoyed watching our grandchildren play sports, family gatherings, boating, taking long walks, and drinking coffee in the morning at home.” Campbell joked, “We didn’t get much time to drink coffee at home.”

Craig is looking forward to spending as much time as possible with his wife, and spending quality time with his children, grandchildren, family and friends.

Congratulations to Craig and Sandy on their retirement. May they both enjoy the years ahead.